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Monday, March 29, 2010

identify that medical equipment, question mark edition

Most of the time when I see a piece of medical equipment, I can appreciate if it looks weird, even if I know what it's used for. And then sometimes I see something, like this pile of stuff outside the cardiac ORs, which leaves me completely mystified. I have been trying to figure this one out for weeks.

It kind of looks like an Allison Lung Retractor, but aren't those are usually flat, with all the wires curving in one direction? The picture makes it seem that these are all bent outwards in a round shape, like an actual wisk. I'm not sure that lung retractor is the answer.

See, that's the thing, I've never seen them used during a case! But they're marked with cardiac OR labels (the little white sticker with the hearts on it around the handle) and they're lying in this pile outside the cardiac OR core, so what gives? I have grabbed several scrub techs and asked them if they know, but they have the same response as me. ("Egg beater, right?")

Taking off from Jay's comment, I wonder if that serrated looking shaft lets the maybe-a-retractor adjust the size of the whisk part. Pulling the serrated shaft away from the wire loops it closes them and pushing toward, it opens up?

I'm still going with whisk. Probably there's making breakfast during the procedure in case anyone gets hungry. I don't blame them. When I was having surgery at [Major University Hospital in ATL], I swear I was the first scheduled patient to go into the OR, after I had to be there by about 6:30 AM. I know the people who work in the OR had to be there earlier than that. And were probably hungry. Just like I was. Being operated on sucks.

Also [Major University in ATL], please never let a PA student put my IV in. The day my nurse had to take it out, I swear she was horrified at his technique [okay, rant over. I don't like people sticking me with sharp objects, especially when they obviously have no experience, and, yes I know they have to learn, but why on me? Rant really over.].

Also, for the comment near the top, medical students are often utilized for the shaking and mixing of intraperitoneal chemo. You can spend up to 90 minutes rolling a patient back and forth. It's good for the biceps and delts.

I have a question (not about this post, although it does involve cardiac surgery). Fentanyl/sufentanil are used in surgery, esp cardiovascular, because of the minimal cardio-depressant effects, yes? But if given too quickly via i.v., you can get truncal rigidity. So how do you counteract that? Do you just administer it slowly (some formula?) or is there another med on board to protect against this?

I'm not cheating on homework; I swear. I was studying for a quiz and stumbled across this and then wondered how it would actually be handled in the OR. My notes don't say, which means it's more than the professor needs us to know right now, but I'm just curious.

Well, it looks like the lung retractor is ruled out here. It can be a little awkward if those were used in the OR. But I think it’s probably used for minimal invasive procedures that are done to the heart. Anyway, the image can be quite confusing for most people.